Back to index of Nerve 8 - Spring 2006

Clone Town Survey

Following its 'clone town' stunt in Church Street (featured in Nerve issue 6 - see here), Liverpool Friends of the Earth have carried out a survey of shops and businesses in Liverpool city centre. The report shows that Liverpool is already far more a 'clone' than a 'home town'. The great majority of trading is done by chain stores whose profits make a quick exit from this city.

The group is now preparing a report to brief local MPs, who they hope will ask challenging questions about the lasting impacts of Liverpool's multi-million pound regeneration on both the local environment, and on the lives of the poor and 'socially excluded' residents whose plight brought Objective 1 status in the first place. In particular, Friends of the Earth is keen to promote the benefits of local trading.

"Research shows that where you have, for instance, locally sourced food sold by a local business, far more of the money stays in the local economy than if we shop at Tesco", points out regional coordinator Frank Kennedy. "Besides, if we are to have any chance of fending off the worst effects of climate change, we have to stop the craziness of flying and driving supplies all over the world. Often, identical products are heading in both directions at once."

Liverpool Friends of the Earth have also had talks with the Capital of Culture Company - which has pledged that 2008 will be the 'greenest' EU Culture year to date - and has proposed a series of environmental awareness-raising events for both '08 and 2009 (due to be Liverpool's 'Year of the Environment').

Liverpool Friends of the Earth group meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 6.30pm at the Green Fish café, Upper Newington (off Renshaw Street). Contact garyfoe@talktalk.net or 0151 254 2776.

Make Liverpool Different can be viewed at: www.btinternet.com/~kristin.karlsson/regeneration_liverpool.pdf
A paper copy can be obtained via s.a.e. from FoE, 60 Duke St, Liverpool L1 5AA.